In one of my favourite plays, Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, Madame Arcati is offered a drink, and replies thus: "If it's a dry martini, yes. If it's a concoction, no. Experience has taught me to be very wary of concoctions." Well, my second Stratford show of the year is no dry martini, either shaken nor stirred. It's definitely a concoction, but a totally delightful one all the same.
Crazy For You
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
At first blush, the idea behind Crazy For You makes it seem like a singularly unnecessary piece. The songs all derive from various shows written by the Gershwin brothers, and principally from Girl Crazy -- which also provides the bones out of which the somewhat more complex plot of this show is constructed. Why not just stage the original show again? I'm afraid that's a question I couldn't answer without seeing the original, but I suspect that, like many shows of its time (1930), it is probably saddled with a storyline that is just too dated to work any more.
Anyway, when I got to the show, I revised my thinking in a big hurry!
If you want to produce an updated musical loosely based on the original, and full of riotous humour and good fun, you could hardly do better than turn to Ken Ludwig for the book. The new story line has more twists and turns than a Swiss mountain road. Of course, anyone who has ever seen any of Ludwig's comic plays (such as Moon Over Buffalo or Lend Me A Tenor) could easily predict that! The strength of this show's book is particularly remarkable when you realize that Ludwig had to write it to fit and incorporate 18 Gershwin songs that were already in existence, and long-loved repertoire staples at that! It's a strong testament to Ludwig's skill as a writer that the show moves effortlessly back and forth between the screwball comedy material and the well-loved classic tunes, while the songs effectively define the characters and advance our understanding of their inner selves. Very few musicals in history have been so seamlessly integrated into a single whole.
As far as the material goes, then, this concoction is definitely made out of highest-quality ingredients. What of the production? Stratford has mounted musicals for almost as long as it has existed and, like everything Stratford does, they are mounted on a lavish scale. But this is the classic Festival Theatre, of the raked semi-circle of seats and the rather small thrust apron stage. To stage a musical designed for a proscenium theatre in this house, you have to throw out all preconceived notions and rebuild the show from scratch.
That is just what director/choreographer Donna Feore has done. She has directed a number of musicals on this difficult stage now, and her inspired choreography has always been the shining star in her shows. In this one, for the first time, I sense that her directorial skills have now caught up to her dance-making, and the resulting performance is stunning in every way.
The back wall of the stage is removed, and large set pieces roll in and out from the rear regions. Large, but essentially simple, because leaving space for the action to unfold is paramount. Descending drops are used to good effect in some scenes. Two small balconies high above the two rear corners of the playing area provide useful spaces for "overhearing" the main action. And the apron is expanded by a circular covering that provides a much bigger space for dance -- a prime consideration.
The easiest way to define Donna Feore's choreography for this show is to list what she doesn't do: classical ballet. That's about it. Everything else seems to be fair game: the Charleston, jazz, waltzes, chorus lines, tap, soft shoe, the can-can, wild gymnastics -- it's all here. The sheer energy of the cast is incredible. You can actually hear people in the audience gasping for air as the dance numbers unfold!
Feore's staging is full of innovative stage pictures that naturally favour the audience in the centre of the house, but still leave plenty for people on the sides to see as well. One of the finest moments was the drunk scene in Act II involving Tom Rooney as Bela Zangler, and Josh Franklin as Bobby Child pretending to be Bela Zangler. The endlessly inventive tricks she had these two play, mirroring each other without actually seeing each other, had the whole audience in an uproar of helpless mirth.
Performers: aforementioned American actor Josh Franklin as Bobby is making his Stratford debut, but has a lengthy resume of leading roles on Broadway and national touring companies of other musicals. It was easy to see right from the first scenes that he was a first-rank performer. His easy, natural command of the stage and ability to dance off Feore's somewhat fiendish choreography without ever losing control of his singing voice was remarkable. It's a clear tenor voice, and his diction was impeccable in both speech and song.
Ditto ditto ditto Natalie Daradich who appeared opposite him as the fire-eating desert girl Polly Baker -- but add to that the fact that Daradich is Canadian. This heroine is no shrinking violet, and the actor who's going to perform this role has to have the gift of shooting fire out of her eyes and stopping men dead in their tracks with her commanding voice. All of this Daradich certainly had, but with a fine clean soprano up to the highest notes of her songs and similar dance skills to her partner. (Amusing footnote: publicity pictures and posters all show her smiling radiantly in Bobby's arms -- the curtain moment at the end -- but in reality, for much of the piece, she snarls and snaps at him in aggravation and outright anger!)
Round these two ranged a remarkable cast of three singing cowboys (in flawless three-part harmony), a highly skilled double bass player appearing as a cowboy to set the stage for "Slap That Bass", a troupe of 1920s chorus girls, more cowboys, and space forbids mentioning names -- but they were all terrific.
And then there were the character roles. Stratford stalwart Tom Rooney must have had the time of his life playing the role of theatrical impresario Bela Zangler, especially in the incredible drunk scene I already mentioned. Keith Dinicol, another long-time Stratford veteran, did well with the role of Polly's father, Everett. All he ever really gets to do is reminisce about how wonderful Polly's mother looked on the stage of his theatre, but he manages to make it fresh on every one of the 7 or 8 occasions he has to say it. Lally Cadeau made a very formidable society lady out of Bobby's mother, Lottie.
Pride of place among the character roles absolutely goes to Robin Hutton as Bobby's society fiancee Irene. Dressed to the nines, prim and proper at all times, she looked the very picture of a 1920s or 1930s movie heroine -- until Bobby dumped her. Then she ripped open the side seam of her tight-fitted skirt and launched into a sexy, throaty, red-hot take on "Naughty Baby" that once again had the whole audience in an uproar of laughter.
So many other great moments -- and I'm sure other people will find their own. All I really have to say about this phenomenal, inspired production of Crazy For You is:
GET THERE! DON'T MISS THIS ONE! SIX STARS OUT OF FIVE!
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